iPad deployment

January 17th, 2012 by Amaya Labrador

In the days following Steve Job’s death, media headlines recounted Apple’s multiple contributions to popular culture through the deployment of its technological devices. From its first generation iPod (the first status-symbol mp3 player), to the iPhone (its most successful product launch), to the iPad (its latest gadget), we have assimilated Apple products into our way of life. Now, Apple products are being integrated into healthcare: iPads are being used to bring caregivers and patients closer together.

Although the adoption of electronic health records (EHR) has been happening for several years, processes and workflows have yet to catch up. In some cases, the shift to EHRs actually fragmented care delivery. It is not uncommon for caregivers to print EHRs or forms before seeing a patient, only to step away after the patient interaction to enter information into the EHR. The iPad has succeeded where desktop computers and tablets have not: in providing a mobile technology solution that users are actually eager to adopt.

However, widespread adoption still faces several challenges in terms of software development. Most of the systems run by healthcare institutions do not have iPad compatible mobile solutions. In addition, administrative controls are pretty lightweight, raising concerns about patient privacy. But some institutions, like Ottawa Hospital, aren’t waiting around for a top-down solution: led by CIO Dale Potter, the hospital has deployed 3,000 devices and developed its own clinical mobile platform.

Links worth referencing: deploying iPads and iPad adoption

Posted in Medicine, Technology | No Comments »

Where art meets medicine

December 20th, 2011 by Ashley Dias

Around here we often think of where architecture meets healthcare, simply because that’s what we do, we design healthcare facilities.  But, what about a similar intersection of fields, where art meets medicine in the field of medical illustration.  Personally, I find it fascinating.  I was reminded of my fascination while flipping through HealthLeaders Magazine.  The Personalities section highlighted Gary Lees, the director of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s Department of Art as Applied to Medicine.

One of the best quotes from the article on Gary was this, “Lavish or beautiful images are not what we are doing.  A good medical illustration must teach.  You can sit down at a computer and it is not going to do the work for you.  You have to tell it what kind of image you want to use that would best show and teach the scientific fact.  If you get caught up in the technology, you might lose the essence of what you want to teach.”

The image above is from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s Department of Art as Applied to Medicine by Professor Corinne Sandone.

Posted in Architecture, Medicine | 1 Comment »

Empathy + Architecture

November 29th, 2011 by Lindsay Todd, HKS Healthcare Fellow 2010-2011

It was almost too obvious. Sitting among thousands of fellow designers, planners and innovators in the healthcare design field.

I was taken entirely aback by the keynote speaker at a conference we were all in attendance for as he spoke on a topic that realistically struggles to exist in today’s culture: empathy. Empathy is not a new concept; in fact, “there was a time not so long ago when there was a broad and deep connection between producers and consumers that allowed everyone to prosper.” Over time, there have been many contributors to the gap that separates us today; however, no one more guilty than myself. What was Dev Patnaik [the aforementioned keynote speaker] saying to this room full of creative minds? What were the actual implications for me as a young, aspiring architect in this world that has, in some ways, lost touch with one another? Before I could entertain another big question, the overarching answer became so apparent that it was obvious. To be better in my world – the creating, designing and planning of healthcare facilities – I need to know their world – the hurting, healing and caring of those who live and work in said healthcare facilities. And it would not be enough to simply know their world by reading and researching about it or by talking to those who provide or receive care in it or by understanding the latest trends driving it. No, I want to know their world experientially by actually putting the black patent pumps up for a season and walking in their shoes. Literally.

Early one morning in 1979, Pattie Moore did a peculiar thing. A young designer living in New York, she woke up, got out of bed, and started to make herself frail. She strapped herself into a body brace that made her shoulders hunch forward. She hid her auburn locks under a white wig and painted her eyelashes gray. She plugged up her ears so she couldn’t hear. And she put on horn-rimmed glasses that blurred her vision. Transformed into a woman more than three times her actual age, Pattie headed out into the world, a wooden cane guiding her path. Leaving her Gramercy Park walk-up, Pattie stepped out into a land that was unlike any she had ever experienced. Pattie had made herself old, and now even her own neighborhood looked strange to her.

                                                                                                      – Excerpt from Wired to Care

In Mr. Patnaik’s book, he goes on to say that through experiences such as the one described above influencing her work as an industrial designer, Pattie Moore has helped countless of people’s everyday life become a little more livable. And, “in doing so, she also revealed an important but oft-forgotten truism: People discover unseen opportunities when they have a personal and empathetic connection with the world around them. For individuals, that means developing the ability to walk in other people’s shoes. For companies and other large institutions, that means finding a way to bring the rest of the world inside their walls.”

As the 2010 – 2011 HKS Healthcare Fellow, I was driven by this idea of understanding, experientially and empathetically, the environment in which I am giving my career and my life to designing. Given the time frame of the fellowship and the gulf of opportunities that exist within a hospital to do this, I have selected a single service line to concentrate on for the purposes of this study. To experience and understand the environment of a cancer patient at THR Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, I hope to have the chance to follow a diverse selection of key individuals working and living in this world, gaining as many perspectives as possible over a six month period of time. What is a 12-hour shift like for the nurse who selflessly cares for these patients on the inpatient oncology unit? Or how about the pharmacist responsible for delivering the necessary medications on time to the unit? Or the care coordinator who labors to orchestrate the treatment and the timeline for the healing and recovery of these patients? Even within the confines of a single service line, the opportunities to know this world are many.

Read the full paper here.

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China’s Next Dynasty: The Rise of Improved Healthcare Facilities

November 22nd, 2011 by Southern Ellis, HKS Healthcare Fellow 2011-20112

China, the land of mysticism, enchantment, and a history rich in tradition has a new dynasty approaching far on the horizon. Having just returned from a trip to China, I saw glimpses of this elusive new future, but the emerging dynasty is but a small uprising at this point; lacking leadership, unity, and a clearly defined focus. Traveling throughout Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Chongqing, and Chengdu it became evident that people in every region of China were hungry for something else, something more, and this new dynasty could change everything. Yet, contrary to what one might think, the approaching dynasty is not political or military in nature; it instead reaches deeper towards the inner core of humanity. The dynasty is one of improved health and environments of healing and it will soon be upon us.

Throughout my travels as the HKS Healthcare Fellow, I saw scenes that would amaze you in their splendor and sights that would break your heart. I saw panoramas of stunning beauty and portraits of incredible pain and discomfort.  The future of improved health and hope is approaching from a number of fronts, but the journey towards ushering in this new dynasty will require a passionate movement to shepherd it to the forefront.

What are the barriers to the approaching of this new dynasty? Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Architecture | 1 Comment »

HKSers at HCD11

October 12th, 2011 by HKS Healthcare Group

Evidence-based design, energy modeling, integrated project delivery, technology and operational efficiency are just a few topics HKS healthcare staff will present at the 2011 Healthcare Design Conference, to be held November 13-16, 2011 in Nashville, Tenn.

HEALTHCARE DESIGN.11 is a four-day conference that provides expert insight into the design, architecture and engineering of healthcare environments, delivering authoritative and timely content to inform, engage and shape the industry. HEALTHCARE DESIGN.11 offers a comprehensive program for earning CEUs, networking with peers and influencing the direction of the trade as it advances into the future.
HKS’s speaking engagements include:

“Energy Modeling Night at the Improv: Featuring the Wizard of SD”
Speakers: Roy Gunsolus, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP BD+C, principal director of sustainable healthcare, HKS Inc.; and Kim Shinn, MS, PE, LEED AP BD+C, CxA, BEMP, principal, TLC Engineering
Date: Sunday, Nov. 13, 3:15 – 5:15 p.m.

“A Framework for Evaluating Evidence in Evidence-Based Design”
Speakers: Debajyoti Pati, Ph.D., FIIA, LEED AP, director of CADRE, HKS Inc.; Deborah Sweetland MBA, FACHE , vice president, HKS, Inc.; Jaynelle Stichler DNS, RN, EDAC, FACHE, FAAN professor of nursing, San Diego State University and editor of the HERD Journal
Date: Monday, Nov. 14, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m.

“Re-Designing Kumbaya – One Prominent Hospital System and the Brave New World of IPD” Speakers: Norman Morgan, AIA, principal with HKS, will be presenting along with Tim Steigerwald, senior vice president, Messer Construction Co.; Donald Reed, director of operations, Riley Hospital for Children; and Mark Voigtmann, attorney at law, partner, Baker & Daniels LLP
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 16 8 – 9 a.m.

“Managing Your Technology Budget”
Speakers: Brian McFarlane, Director of Healthcare for North America, HKS, Inc.; as well as Grant Ramsay, principal, X-nth; and Scott Bell, director, major capital projects, Kaiser Permanente
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 9:15 – 10:15 a.m.

“Teaming Up – Does Unit Decentralization Impact Teamwork and Operational Efficiencies?”
Speakers: Debajyoti Pati, Ph.D., FIIA, LEED AP, director of CADRE, HKS, Inc.; Barbara Summers, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, professor and chair, department of nursing, MD Anderson Cancer Center; and Pamela Redden, MS, BSN,RN, EDAC, director, clinical facilities development, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

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Children’s Med Dallas, episode 3 on Wednesday

August 15th, 2011 by Ashley Dias

If you haven’t been watching Children’s Med Dallas, then tune into your ABC station this Wednesday night.  This show, similar to Boston Med and Hopkins, is about the stories of Children’s Medical Center Dallas.  So far two episodes of the five-part series have aired. The one-hour finale will air in September. It’s sure to have raw and heartfelt stories of youngsters and their families! We here at HKS are privileged to work on Children’s Hospital, including Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Long live the kiddos!

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Ellis named 2011-2012 Healthcare Fellow

August 8th, 2011 by HKS Healthcare Group

Southern Ellis has been named the 2011-2012 HKS Healthcare Fellow, a one-year program developed to recognize and encourage aspiring, talented recent graduates committed to improving the built healthcare environment. In addition to his HKS project work, Ellis will be researching a topic of interest for a special study through the Fellowship.

Ellis graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Environmental Design in 2009 and a Master of Architecture in 2011. His thesis work in graduate school focused on the design of a new hospital in the rural Tanzanian village of Nkololo. His design will be used to help build the new community facility in the village.

While at Texas A&M, he led several organizations including the Student Health Environments Association (SHEA) and the Global Architecture Brigades (GAB). As founder of the Texas A&M GAB chapter, he led a multidisciplinary student team to assist in the design and construction of a secondary school in Honduras. Southern was also selected as an ambassador to the 2009 U.S.-China Relations Conference in Beijing, China.

When asked why he selected healthcare architecture as his specialty practice area, Ellis said, “I’ve always had a great desire to help others, and in healthcare architecture I have found an amazing opportunity to directly affect the lives of people through the creation of environments of healing. I feel the unique skillsets of architects, as problem-solvers and innovators, gives us the potential to truly affect change in the health of the world.”

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Check out Tech and Ops

August 3rd, 2011 by Frank Kittredge

I’ve recently posted a blog on the topic of Technology and Operations on the Healthcare Design blog.  Here’s a excerpt from that post and a link to it as well.  Your comments are welcome here or there.

“In May 2011, my HKS colleague Jennie Evans posted a blog titled ‘HKS: IT Changes Everything.’ Her comments focused on how poor interfaces with planned technology can stall the implementation of planned operational processes. She closed by asking the question: ‘How should information technology be integrated into the design process?’ 

Back in May 2008, I wrote an article with John Vitalis that discussed the significance of getting the CIO involved in the planning process and identified the importance of understanding information management, information systems, and information technology, and their respective impacts on the planning and design process for new or renovated buildings…”

Read more here.

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A few new posts from HKS bloggers

July 11th, 2011 by HKS Healthcare Group

Check out a few posts we’ve had published on Healthcare Design’s blog:

How Healthcare Facility Development is Changing in Emerging Economies Throughout Latin America by Eduardo Egea

Infection Control by Design in the Surgical Environment by Tom Harvey

As always, we welcome your comments and feedback here or on the Healthcare Design blog! 



Posted in Architecture | 1 Comment »

Holistic integration of IT and the built environment

May 19th, 2011 by Jennie Evans

Visit the Healthcare Design blog to read my post about impediments and challenges related  to operational flexibility within the built environment, and how IT is a focal point of this subject.  We welcome your comments here, on the Healthcare Design blog, or on the Healthcare Design LinkedIn site where discussions are taking place already.

Here’s an excerpt from the post…
“Is it enough to have IT stakeholders at the table early in the process? How should information technology be integrated into the design process? In regards to IT, what are the questions we should be asking our clients, ourselves, and our consultants before we embark upon a building project? What is the right perspective for optimal implementation?”

Posted in Technology | No Comments »

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